Why The Beatles Waited So Long Before Releasing 'Across the Universe'
Some songs in the Beatles catalog took a long while before seeing the light of day. “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number),” the wacky B-side on the “Let It Be” single (March 1970), is a good example.
The Fab Four first started work on “You Know My Name” in early 1967. That May, they took it to the studio and worked out basic tracks for the song. By June, they had a number of odd effects and, somehow, the Stones’ Brian Jones playing sax on the track.
But nearly three years passed before they finished the song and released it. That type of timeline wasn’t too far off from one of the signature John Lennon songs: “Across the Universe.”
After putting in significant studio time on the song in February ’68, the song probably sounded complete to some ears. However, the track wouldn’t be the next Beatles single — or turn up at all on The White Album or Abbey Road.
Source: cheatsheet.com
